Inhabitants of Baramulla town today complained that the area was reeling under acute water shortage for past one week.

They said this was the worst bout of water scarcity that the town was facing in the recent times. “While for drinking, we are forced to buy the bottled water from the market. For bathing and cleaning we have been using Jhelum waters,” Javed Ahmad of old town Baramulla said.

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Officials of public health engineering department said they were not able to lift the water from the Jhelum “because the water level in the river has fallen considerably.”

“The level has dropped further due to dredging carried out in the river,” assistant executive engineer, PHE Baramulla, Abdul Ahad said.

However, the locals said the drop in the water level of the river in September and October was not unusual. “It is for the first time we are witnessing such a crisis,” Majid Kababi of old town Baramulla exclaimed.

“Whatever the reason for the shortage, the district administration should have made arrangements for supplying drinking water through tankers but they don't seem to be concerned,” he said.